_tiff.png){kind=logo}
500 Main St. Springfield, OR 97477
Gallery and Gift Shop Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 11- 4 pm
2026 youth art camp
July 7-August 21
Tuesday to Friday 1-5 pm
Youth 9-12
Teen 13-17
Learn from professional artists, painters, and creators and make art!
The Dotty & Frank Light Family Summer Youth Art Camp at Emerald Art Center is designed to cultivate creativity! Campers will develop new skills and techniques while having the flexibility and freedom for self-expression and discovery. With 14 youth per camp, students receive quality instruction from professional artists while making art and friends!
For 2026, we are offering two types of classes: Explore and Focus
Explore classes are about experimentation and discovery, trying new materials and techniques for inspiration.
Focus classes are about skill-building, offering directed practice with the goal of creating a finished work of art.
All camp sessions take place at Emerald Art Center in Springfield, OR. Sessions are held Tues.-Fri. on the indicated dates, from 1-5 pm.
Artwork created during the first four sessions of camp will be exhibited at Emerald Art Center during Springfield Art Walk on August 8th and throughout the month.
Families may pick up their camper's artwork Saturday, August, 29th during regular EAC hours (11am-4pm). Alternative arrangements can be made as necessary.
Explore: Fiber Arts
Ages 9 - 12
In this hands-on fiber arts session, campers will explore sewing, weaving, and other creative projects using yarn, fabric, and thread. Participants will create colorful one-of-a-kind pieces, while building artistic skills, confidence, and patience. Along the way, they will discover new ways to express themselves while building friendships in a supportive studio environment. Activities will be inspired by textile traditions and artists from around the world.
July 7 - 10
Explore: Sculpting with Cardboard
Ages 9 - 17
Cardboard–an everyday material that’s all around us and that we might take for granted…until we unlock its potential as a medium for sculpture! This course invites artists to play, explore, and experiment with cardboard to discover ways to bring unique forms to life with this humble yet versatile art material. Artists will learn techniques for cutting, shaping, and constructing with cardboard and will explore various surface treatments, from paper mâché to paint, employing creative problem-solving at every turn. What will you make out of cardboard?
July 14 - 17
Explore: Illustration
Ages 9 - 17
Discover the tools illustrators use to create mood and meaning in narrative artwork like comics, manga, and graphic novels. Play with techniques in pencil, pastel, and watercolor and uncover their impact on storytelling. Learn new ways to compose a scene, choose colors, and use value with purpose. Take home a finished illustration that brings it all together, telling a story with a single image!
July 21 - 24
Explore: Monoprint with Gelli Plates
Ages 9 - 17
Does the young artist in your life love texture, collage, or building images with a lot of layers? In this session we will explore the squishy possibilites of creating painted papers and finished art with Gelli plates. Campers will discover the possibilities of monoprint as they play with image transfer, texture tools, and painting directly onto the plate. They will take home lots of printed paper for use in collages, junk journals, drawings, or anything they can imagine!
July 28 - 31
Explore: Color Magic
Ages 9 - 12
Campers will explore the vast world of color mixing and the limitless possibilities it has to offer. They will learn how to make just about any color from the three primaries, and how to apply those colors to any type of picture they wish to make. They will learn basic color theory, such as the complimentary colors, and why it is important to know how to mix your own browns and grays without using black. They will explore different mediums including acrylic paint and water colors, and create finished art pieces in each medium.
August 4 - 7
Explore: Crochet for Beginners
Ages 9 - 17
Feel the joy and excitement of taking a hook and ball of yarn and turning it into anything you can imagine! Whether you create plushies, wearables, or decor, crochet is a valuable skill. Young artists will get comfortable with tools and materials, practice the basics, learn the proper way to start and finish a project, and discover possible projects. Finally, campers will put what they learned to use and make their choice of regular beanie or “cat ear” hat!
August 4 - 7
Focus: Painting Landscapes in Acrylic
Ages 13 - 17
Young artists will learn the fundamentals of landscape painting and different approaches to the subject. We will explore color: mixing and theory that is essential to the landscape painting genre, and how to paint any picture with a limited pallet. Students will learn a variety of techniques and approaches to painting different environments. We will explore other "-scapes," such as seascapes and space-scapes, as well as surrealistic or abstract landscapes. Students will have the opportunity to create several finished pieces through the course of the week.
August 11 - 14
Focus: Crochet Tapestry
Ages 13 - 17
In this session, campers will learn to turn pixel art into crocheted tapestries. We will explore how to make our own pixel grids and fine-tune them to guide our crocheting using a variety of techniques. Students will leave with a finished mini-tapestry and the skills to make more on their own!
Necessary knowledge: students should be able to single- and double-crochet independently before taking this session.
August 11 - 14
Focus: Letter Sculptures in Cardboard
Ages 13 - 17
This session invites young artists to imagine what a letter-form can become, playing with lines and curves in cardboard to express their unique vision! We will develop exciting ideas for our artwork by playing games and exploring our inspiration in a variety of media. Artists will learn techniques for planning a three-dimensional artwork, and explore the successful pieces on display in the gallery. Finally, the young artists will design and create their own letter sculpture, bringing their vision to life.
Necessary knowledge: Students should have previous 3D design or sculpting experience
August 18 -21
Focus: Digital Storytelling
Ages 9 - 17
Do you want to draw your own comic, graphic novel, or children's book? With the guidance of professional illustrator Gerta Egy, learn to analyze a tale and find what makes it exciting to you. Explore the media and structure that will express your excitement to viewers. Once you've worked out your storyboard, enjoy plenty of work-time to make your idea a reality. End the session with an art exchange, where you can take home finished copies of your classmates' stories as well as your own.
Necessary knowledge: Campers should come prepared with a piece of writing or story they would like to re-tell through illustration
August 18 -21
Cost & Info
Cost:
1 Week $170
2 Weeks $320
3 Weeks $480
4 Weeks $640
Can I mix and match?
Yes! On our registration form, we have all of our camp courses listed so it's easy to choose which classes your child would like to take.
Do you offer any scholarships?
At Emerald Art Center, we do our best to make art as accessible for everyone as we can. That's why we offer 50% off Scholarships for Low-Income Families. Below, please find our form for Scholarship apps.
Are there any discounts for children related to an Emerald Art Center Member?
All Emerald Art Center Members and their families receive a 15% discount on registration. So, if you have a child or a grandchild interested in joining this year's camp and you're a member, please choose the option in our registration form that lets us know.
The class my child is interested in is full, do you offer a waitlist?
If any of our camps are full, please feel free to fill out our waitlist form below. We'll notify you if anyone drops from the class to see if you are still interested.
What if we register our child but have to cancel?
2026 refund policy requests must be received on or before June 14th, and please, be aware that there is a $20 processing fee for any cancellations.
What people are saying about our youth art camp.
“It was so cool seeing my daughters confidence soar after the week of camp.”
”Great projects with a focus on older kids.”
“(I learned) blending in, highlighting, realistic artwork and real life advice. I love art. It showed my feelings in a colorful and artistic way.”
Thank you to the Dotty & Frank Light Family for making this camp possible!
Special thanks to the following organizations for supporting scholarships to low-income families.
